Managers are responsible for controlling a group of people to reach a certain goal.
Leadership
, on the other hand, is the capacity of an individual to motivate, influence, and enable other employees to contribute to the success of an organization. According to research, 94% of employees who like their bosses are passionate about their work, while 77% of people who don't like their boss plan to leave their job soon. Coaching, however, focuses on collaboration and empowerment.Instead of leading, managers guide team members to discover their own creativity, potential, and insight. Unlike employee training programs, in which the trainer sets the agenda for the apprentice, coaching concentrates on each individual member of the team. While a manager usually organizes work and processes to get results, a coach boosts team performance and helps people reach their next level of effectiveness. The terms coaching and management are often used interchangeably, but that doesn't mean they are the same.
Recently, Right Management conducted a survey and found that 68% of managers are not involved in the professional development of their employees. In short, employee coaching is a management function that every good leader should be able to do well. This change may have made you wonder what the difference is between managing and advising and when to use each approach. Once a manager learns to think, speak and act like a coach, the “training process” not only becomes natural for the coach but also changes the attitudes and behaviors of his team members.
While management is about providing directives, assigning tasks and monitoring progress, coaching involves partnership and exploration. The best leaders know how to combine training and management skills to motivate and inspire their employees. However, these same managers must increasingly assume the role of coach, not just manager or leader, for the members of their own teams. The key difference between leadership and coaching lies in the focus of each approach. Leadership is about setting direction and inspiring others to follow it.
Coaching is about helping people find their own solutions by asking questions that help them think through problems on their own. Leaders provide guidance while coaches provide support. Leaders set goals while coaches help people reach those goals. Leaders must be able to recognize when it's time to step back and let their team members take charge. Coaches must be able to recognize when it's time to step in and provide guidance or support.
Leaders must be able to motivate their team members while coaches must be able to empower them. Leaders must be able to set expectations while coaches must be able to help people meet those expectations. In conclusion, leadership and coaching are two distinct approaches that can be used together for maximum effectiveness. Leaders must be able to recognize when it's time to step back and let their team members take charge while coaches must be able to recognize when it's time to step in and provide guidance or support.
